Environmental Science

Master of Science in Integrated Water Resources and Watershed Management

The Master of Science in Integrated Water Resources and Watershed Management is a postgraduate programme that prepares professionals for advanced practice in water resources management, watershed conservation, and environmental planning. The programme combines hydrological science with management principles, policy analysis, and research application.

Core areas include integrated water resources management, watershed degradation and rehabilitation, policy and interventions, mapping and field techniques, remote sensing and GIS, socio-economic aspects, research methods, and thesis. Students engage with both theoretical and practical work through coursework, field work, laboratory sessions, and research.

The programme is offered by South Eastern Kenya University as MSc in Integrated Water Resource and Watershed Management, and Kenyatta University as MSc in Integrated Watershed Management. Both are public universities offering the programme over two academic years through full-time and part-time modes of study.

Students develop competencies in water resources assessment, watershed management, GIS and remote sensing, policy analysis, and rehabilitation planning. The programme includes coursework, examinations, field work, and a supervised research thesis, preparing graduates to address water security and watershed degradation challenges.

SEKU charges approximately KES 155,000/year (KES 310,000 total) and KU charges KES 326,400/year (KES 652,800 total). Entry requires a Bachelor's degree with at least Second Class Honours in agriculture, environmental science, geography, water resources, or related fields from a recognised institution.

Graduates pursue careers as water resources managers, watershed management officers, environmental planners, GIS specialists, hydrologists, and lecturers in water resources across government ministries, water authorities, NGOs, research institutions, and universities.

Skills Required

Integrated Water Resources Management
Watershed Degradation and Rehabilitation
Policy and Interventions in Watershed Management
Mapping, Field and Laboratory Techniques
Remote Sensing and GIS Applications
Socio-Economic and Legal Aspects of Water Management
Hydrological Assessment and Modelling
Water Quality and Pollution Management
Research Methods in Water Resources
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Integrated Water Resources Management
Watershed Degradation and Rehabilitation
Policy and Interventions in Watershed Management
Mapping, Field and Laboratory Techniques
Remote Sensing and GIS Applications
Socio-Economic and Legal Aspects of Water Management
Hydrological Assessment and Modelling
Water Quality and Pollution Management
Research Methods in Water Resources
Thesis Research

Certifications

WRA Water Resources Certification
GWP IWRM Certification

Specializations

Water Resources Management

Focuses on water resources, covering assessment, planning, allocation, management, and managing water resources.

Watershed Rehabilitation

Examines watershed rehabilitation, covering degradation, erosion, conservation, restoration, and managing watershed rehabilitation.

GIS and Remote Sensing

Covers GIS and remote sensing, covering mapping, analysis, monitoring, applications, and managing spatial data.

Water Policy and Governance

Focuses on water policy, covering law, institutions, governance, transboundary, and managing water policy.

Hydrological Modelling

Examines hydrological modelling, covering data, analysis, simulation, prediction, and managing hydrological models.

Environmental Planning

Covers environmental planning, covering assessment, management, conservation, policy, and managing environmental planning.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 326,400
Private, up to: Ksh 0
Job market: High

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 20 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Integrated Water Resources Management
Watershed Degradation and Rehabilitation
Policy and Interventions in Watershed Management
Mapping, Field and Laboratory Techniques
Remote Sensing and GIS Applications
Socio-Economic and Legal Aspects of Water Management
Hydrological Assessment and Modelling
Water Quality and Pollution Management
Research Methods in Water Resources
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Principles of Integrated Water Resources Management
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines IWRM principles, concepts, sectors, systems, economics, and managing water resources.
Policy and Interventions in Watershed Management
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers law, institutions, interventions, planning, conservation, and managing water policy.
Research Methods and Computing for Watershed Management
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers research design, data collection, analysis, computing, statistics, and conducting research, preparing students for their thesis.
Mapping, Field and Laboratory Techniques
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines scale, projections, thematic maps, field techniques, soil, water, and managing mapping and field work.
Watershed Degradation and Rehabilitation
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers erosion, pollution, deforestation, climate change, rehabilitation, and managing watershed degradation.
Remote Sensing and GIS
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines aerial photography, remote sensing, image processing, GIS, analysis, and managing spatial data.
Socio-Economic, Legal and Administrative Aspects
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers ethics, socio-cultural, gender, equity, water users, conflicts, transboundary, and managing socio-economic aspects.
Hydrological Assessment and Modelling
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines data, analysis, modelling, simulation, prediction, and managing hydrological assessment.
Water Quality and Pollution Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers quality, pollution, monitoring, treatment, standards, and managing water quality.
Climate Change and Water Resources
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines climate, impacts, adaptation, mitigation, vulnerability, and managing climate change impacts on water.
Participatory Watershed Management
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers participation, community, stakeholders, planning, governance, and managing participatory watershed management.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 29 creditsCore
Original supervised research thesis on an integrated water resources and watershed management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and water resources knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Water Resources Management
Focuses on water resources, covering assessment, planning, allocation, management, and managing water resources.
Watershed Rehabilitation
Examines watershed rehabilitation, covering degradation, erosion, conservation, restoration, and managing watershed rehabilitation.
GIS and Remote Sensing
Covers GIS and remote sensing, covering mapping, analysis, monitoring, applications, and managing spatial data.
Water Policy and Governance
Focuses on water policy, covering law, institutions, governance, transboundary, and managing water policy.
Hydrological Modelling
Examines hydrological modelling, covering data, analysis, simulation, prediction, and managing hydrological models.
Environmental Planning
Covers environmental planning, covering assessment, management, conservation, policy, and managing environmental planning.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MSc in Integrated Water Resources and Watershed Management programme combines lectures, field work, laboratory sessions, seminars, and independent study. Sessions cover IWRM, watershed degradation, policy, mapping, and GIS. IWRM sessions examine principles, concepts, sectors, systems, economics, and managing water resources. Watershed degradation sessions cover erosion, pollution, deforestation, climate change, rehabilitation, and managing watershed degradation. Policy sessions cover law, institutions, interventions, planning, conservation, and managing water policy. Mapping sessions cover scale, projections, thematic maps, field techniques, soil, and managing mapping. GIS sessions cover remote sensing, aerial photography, interpretation, image processing, analysis, and managing spatial data. Socio-economic sessions cover ethics, gender, equity, water users, conflicts, transboundary, and managing socio-economic aspects. Research methods sessions prepare students for their thesis, covering research design, data collection, and analysis. Field work provides hands-on experience with watershed assessment, soil and water measurements, and participatory research. Laboratory sessions provide hands-on experience with soil analysis, water quality testing, and computing. Seminars provide opportunities for presenting research findings and debating current issues in water resources. Guest lectures from experienced water managers, hydrologists, and environmental planners provide practical insights. The programme culminates in a supervised research thesis on an integrated water resources and watershed management topic.

The trade offs

In its favour

High demand for water resources professionals with Kenya's water security challenges and climate change impacts.
Programme offered by two public universities (SEKU, KU), providing institutional choice.
SEKU offers competitive fees at approximately KES 155,000/year.
Programme combines field work, laboratory sessions, and GIS, providing comprehensive practical experience.

Against it

KU fees are higher at KES 326,400/year compared to SEKU.
No private university confirmed offering this programme.
Programme requires agriculture, environmental, or geography background, limiting access for non-related graduates.
Field work may require travel to remote watershed areas, adding logistical costs.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 181 environmental science courses

Public155k to 326k

155k at SEKU326k at Kenyatta University

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

KU 326,400/yr (ku.ac.ke). SEKU ~155,000/yr (tuko.co.ke). No private.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. SEKU and KU may offer scholarships for eligible students. GWP may offer research grants for water resources research. Some NGOs, water authorities, and government agencies may sponsor staff for postgraduate study.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
SEKU Scholarship
GWP Research Grant

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
SEKU Scholarship
ScholarshipKsh 150,000Kenyan
SEKU offers scholarships for eligible postgraduate students.
GWP Research Grant
ScholarshipKsh 300,000
GWP provides research grants for water resources research and training.

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: SEKU and KU require Bachelor's degree with at least Second Class Honours in agriculture, environmental science, geography, water resources, or related fields. Lower Second Class may be considered with Grade B and above in relevant units. Contact respective universities for specific admission requirements.

How you are assessed

4 components

Coursework and Continuous Assessment
Coursework30% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, field reports, laboratory reports, seminar presentations, and class participation.
Written Examinations
Examination70% of the mark
Written examinations covering IWRM, watershed degradation, policy, GIS, and hydrological assessment.
Practical and Field Assessment
Practical40% of the mark
Practical assessment through field work, laboratory work, GIS projects, and demonstrating water resources skills.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original supervised research thesis on an integrated water resources and watershed management topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and water resources knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). SEKU (public) offers MSc in Integrated Water Resource and Watershed Management through the School of Agriculture, Environment, Water and Natural Resources Management, and Kenyatta University (public) offers MSc in Integrated Watershed Management through the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. Both programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in water resources management. Graduates are eligible for WRA water resources certification and GWP IWRM certification.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. SEKU (public) offers MSc in Integrated Water Resource and Watershed Management through the School of Agriculture, Environment, Water and Natural Resources Management, and Kenyatta University (public) offers MSc in Integrated Watershed Management through the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. Both programmes meet CUE standards for postgraduate training in water resources management. Graduates are eligible for WRA water resources certification and GWP IWRM certification.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Water Resources Manager
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Manages water resources, overseeing assessment, planning, allocation, and managing water resources.
Watershed Management Officer
High demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 400,000
Manages watersheds, overseeing conservation, rehabilitation, monitoring, and managing watershed management.
Environmental Planner
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 400,000
Plans environmental management, overseeing assessment, planning, conservation, and managing environmental planning.
GIS Specialist
High demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Manages GIS operations, overseeing mapping, analysis, modelling, and managing spatial data.
Hydrologist
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Conducts hydrological assessment, overseeing data, modelling, analysis, and managing hydrological research.
Water Resources Lecturer
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 450,000
Teaches water resources at university or college level, overseeing instruction, research, and academic supervision.

Graduate outcomes

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

ArcGIS
SoftwarePrimary
ArcGIS for GIS analysis, covering mapping, analysis, modelling, and managing spatial data.
QGIS
Software
QGIS for open-source GIS, covering mapping, analysis, visualisation, and managing spatial data.
SPSS
Software
SPSS for statistical analysis, covering data, statistics, analysis, and managing research data.
SWAT
Software
SWAT for watershed modelling, covering simulation, prediction, analysis, and managing watershed models.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Water resources management is just about building dams.
Water resources management covers comprehensive IWRM, policy, watershed rehabilitation, GIS, and socio-economic aspects beyond just building dams.
This programme is only for engineers.
Water resources skills are valuable for planners, managers, researchers, GIS specialists, and policy analysts beyond just engineers.
Watershed management is just about tree planting.
Watershed management covers comprehensive degradation, erosion, pollution, rehabilitation, and conservation beyond just tree planting.
GIS is just about making maps.
GIS covers comprehensive remote sensing, spatial analysis, monitoring, modelling, and applications beyond just making maps.
Water policy is just about regulations.
Water policy covers comprehensive law, institutions, governance, transboundary issues, and socio-economic aspects beyond just regulations.
This programme has limited career prospects.
Water resources graduates work in diverse sectors including government, water authorities, NGOs, research, consulting, and education.